A Journey of Faith: engaging Indian churches theologically on LGBT issues
In a time when the case of the Leviticus-spouting IAS officer in Tamil Nadu is being used as a tactic to vilify an entire religion as inherently homophobic, the increasing articulation of queer and progressive voices within faith communities is a matter of celebration.
Hearty congratulations to Reverend Winnie Varghese on her book
‘A Journey of Faith: Church and Homosexuality’ published by the Board of Theological Education of the Senate of Serampore College, Hooghly, West Bengal.
An excerpt from the blurb on the back cover:
“Like the stiff corsets and crinolines associated with the Victorian era, the British Empire’s rules of morality too were restrictive and prescribed the dos and don’ts of acceptable behaviour. One of these manifested itself in Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. In July 2009, the High Court of Delhi declared unconstitutional the section that criminalised sex against “the order of nature”, thus opening up a debate in the country. Later, the Supreme Court overturned that judgement, further bringing into focus the question of the rights of the rights of an individual in a progressive, democratic society. This book narrates the faith journey of the author as a lesbian, Christian and ordained minister…”
“This book is a bold attempt by the Senate of Serampore College (University) to engage theologically on a theme that Indian churches have chosen to keep muted until now”.
The book was released earlier this week in Kottayam, Kerala, with the Principal of the Orthodox Seminary in Kottayam (Mar Thoma Syrian Church Of Malabar), and the Secretary of the Senate of Serampore University receiving the first copy of the book.
Indian-American Rev. Varghese [see Outlook interview], who is rector at St Marks In-the-Bowery, an Episcopalian Church in New York, is no stranger to Chennai, having participated in roundtable discussions with church leaders on LGBT issues in 2009 and 2014.
We at Orinam have had the pleasure of hosting Rev. Varghese at one of our meetings last year, and having her read excerpts from Rev. George Zachariah’s Aug 2009 Gurukul sermon for the QUiLT Queer(ing) Literature group.
Watch this NDTV panel discussion from 2009 featuring Winnie Varghese and members of the LGBT and ally community in Chennai:
